Solid All-Around Effort in First Road Win

Coming off of its best offensive performance of the year, the Harvard field hockey team traveled south to Providence on Saturday for a conference game against Brown. In another impressive showing, the Crimson (4-5, 2-1 Ivy) defeated the Bears (2-7, 0-3 Ivy), 2-0, at Warner Roof, thanks to timely offense and stalwart goaltending.

“Like with any Ivy matchup, we were excited to go down to Providence to play,” said co-captain and goaltender Kylie Stone. “Every game is a big game within the league.”

With only 14 seconds left in the first half, Harvard broke a scoreless tie when sophomore forward Maggie McVeigh scored on a counterattack. Sophomore forward Leigh McCoy increased the cushion to two with a goal late in the second half. The two goals were more than enough for Stone, who notched seven saves en route to her third shutout of the season.

Early on, it looked as if Brown would strike first. Just 35 seconds into the game, Bears forward Leslie Springmeyer ripped a shot from directly in front of the goal, but Stone managed to block the shot with her leg, and the Crimson cleared the ball.

“Brown came out with intensity,” Stone said. “It was their home turf, and they tried to take advantage. I think they caught us on our heels a little.”

A few minutes later, the Bears were fouled in the circle. On the ensuing penalty corner, Brown back Victoria Sacco took a shot from the top of the circle that was deflected by teammate Abigail Taft. Again, Stone was up to the challenge, blocking the attempt and ending the threat.

The Bears kept applying pressure and, almost nine minutes into the first half, had yet another chance to score. This time, Stone made a save with her right toe on a shot by Brown midfielder Michaela Seigo.

“[Kylie] had a great game. She’s been playing great lately,” sophomore midfielder Chloe Keating said. “There were a couple of early collapses where she really saved everyone.”

Harvard’s offense picked up from there. McVeigh managed to test Bears goaltender Caroline Washburn on a deflection off of a free hit by senior back Francine Polet, and later Keating tipped a shot by freshman back Georgia McGillivray on goal.

Twice in the opening half the Crimson was whistled for violations close to Brown’s goal, and twice a Harvard shot skidded just wide of the net.

In the waning moments of the half, the Crimson finally broke through. Harvard gained possession off of a Bears turnover and fed the ball ahead to McVeigh and McCoy. The two sophomores passed back and forth on a breakaway before McCoy crossed the ball from the left side to McVeigh who gathered it in front of the goal. The forward tapped the ball into the right corner for her third goal in four games.

At halftime, Brown held a 7-6 advantage in shots, while Harvard had a 3-1 edge in penalty corners.

In the second half, the Crimson defense took control. The Bears managed only three shots for the entire frame and did not register a single shot until only 19 minutes remained in the game.

On the offensive side, Harvard extended its lead on a goal by McCoy. With 10 minutes left to play, McCoy drove into the circle and fired a shot from the right side of the net. The ball deflected off of a Brown player’s foot and into the cage for an insurance goal.

The Bears threatened late with a penalty corner, but the Crimson thwarted the effort to capture the win. Harvard finished with more shots, 15-10, more corners, 7-4, and more saves, 7-4, than its opponent in capturing its first road victory of the season.

“The game was very good. It was nice to get our first away victory,” Keating said.

The Crimson returns to action this Wednesday when it takes on Northeastern at home.

—Staff writer Timothy J. Walsh can be reached at twalsh@fas.harvard.edu.